Garter construction



May '17, 1938. E BLIESATH I 2,117286 GARTER CONSTRUCTION Filed July 14, 1956 INVENT OR BYE/nest Bll'esaifi ATTORNEY Patented May 17, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GARTER CONSTRUCTION Ernest Bliesath, Kerry, Oreg.

Application July 14,

3 Claims.

'10 body element having a bail supporting hinge terminating one of its ends and having an elongated slit disposed therein through which material may be passed to be secured to a locking tongue body element that is hingedly secured to the primary body element by a locking bail.

The primary body element has a hole disposed therein through which the locking tongue may be made to pass when the same is hinged downward so that fabric and other material engaging the locking tongue may be heldsecured to the associated elements when closed and which may be removed therefrom when the locking tongue body element is outwardly hinged. A tab is secured to "the body element of the locking tongue to facilitate its manual manipulation.

The primary purpose and object of my invention consists in providing two pieces hingedly secured together through the action of a locking bail so that a clamping head may be formed that 30 lies substantially flat and one that will have an absolute minimum thickness when being used as a garter, as a support for lingerie or for other supports.

A still further object of my invention consists 35 in so constructing the same that it may be made utilizing a minimum amount of material, one that will be simple in construction and one that will have a minimum of depth when hinged together so that a flat structure will result for supporting 40 womens wear and one that will have a long and useful life with practical freedom from mechanical operating annoyance.

With these and incidental objects in View, the

invention consists in certain novel features of. construction and combination of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in the appended claims, and a preferred form of embodiment of which is hereinafter shown with reference to the drawing which accompanies and 0 forms a part of this specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the locking head and illustrates a garter strap secured thereto. In this view the locking tongue is shown out of engage- 55 ment with the locking eye.

1936, Serial N0. 90,525

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the locking head having secured thereto a fragment of an elastic band. In this view the locking tongue is shown in engagement with the locking eye.

Fig. 3 is a perspective plan view of the locking head. In this view the locking tongue is shown out of locking engagement with the locking eye.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

My device is comprised primarily of a body element I. The body element I has a hinged joint formed upon its rear end by folding itself over, as illustrated at 2 to form a hinged connection for a locking bail 3 that is made of cylindrical material. A locking tongue body ele- L ment 4 is also hingedly secured to the bail 3 that forms an articulating relationship between the tongue 4 and the body element l. A slitted hole 5 is disposed within the body element through which the elastic band 6 is made to pass. The elastic band 6 is then secured to the underside of the locking tongue 4 by being clamped between a reverse bend 1 of the material and the body 8 of the locking tongue. A hand engaging tab 9 is also secured to the body of the locking tongue 4 and the tab 9 is also clamped between the body 8 of the locking tongue and the reverse bend, thus clamping the tab and the elastic band in locked engagement with the body 4 by the same clamping means.

The body element I has an annular hole Ill disposed in its free end and the hole In should be made substantial in area in order that the top of the sock or one end of the sanitary napkin or the shoulder strap or other material may be passed through a hole and be engaged by the free end ll of the locking tongue 4.

It will be noted in Fig. 3 that when the locking tongue body element of the locking tongue is hinged rearwardly about the supporting bail 3 at its free end the locking tongue will be moved clear of the opening I0 so that any portion of the garment or other locking material may be freely removed therefrom and be withdrawn through the hole II].

In Fig. 2 the free end of the locking tongue is shown inserted within the hole Ill. The normal tension of the elastic band 6 passing through the hole 5 normally maintains the body element carrying the locking tongue in a forwardly extended position. A pair of ears [2 and I3 are formed integral with the body and from the material from which the body element of the locking tongue is formed. The ears I2 and I3 upwardly extend. Locking jaws l4 and are formed from the body element I. Thus when the body element carrying the locking tongue is folded downward the locking ears l2 and I3 engage the upwardly extending sloping surface of the locking jaws and form clamped locking relationship between the body element of the looking tongue and the body element of the device. The bail 3 is made in the form of a fiat hoop and one of the broad surfaces of the hoop engages in hinged relationship with the body element I and the other of the broad surfaces of the hoop engages in hinged relation with the body 8 as illustrated at Hi.

It will be noted that a locking head I1 is disposed upon the free end of the elastic band 6 and the same is made sufiiciently broad to permit the elastic band passing therethrough.

If the device is to be worn as a garter for socks the elastic strap is passed about the leg of the wearer and the elastic strap passes between the spaced walls l8 and IQ of the locking head to thereby facilitate the securing of the elastic strap about the leg of the wearer.

Where my improved locking head is being used as a support for other purposes than socks or where the elastic band is being secured to the girdle, corset or other wearing apparel, the head I1 is fixed to a supporting strap that may not be made of elastic material.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the embodiment herein shown and described, as it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a body element, and a locking tongue hingedly secured to a bail, a tongue receiving hole disposed in the end of the body element, a

manipulative tab secured to the rear end of the body of the locking tongue and said locking tongue being adapted for being passed through the hole of the body element when the bail is manipulated in a forward direction and for being manipulated out of the hole of the body element when the bail is moved in the opposite direction, and complementary pairs of locking jaws formed integral with the body element and tongue for locking the two members together when clamped upon a garment.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a body element and a locking tongue that are hingedly secured together by a bail, a slitted hole and a tongue receiving hole disposed in the body element, a fastener for the bail made integral with the body element and the tongue respectively, pairs of locking jaws formed integral with the locking tongue and body element for clamping the body element and the locking tongue together when the locking tongue is fully inserted within the tongue receiving hole of the body element and a tab and means for securing the tab to the locking tongue.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a body element that has a tongue receiving hole, a slit for receiving a garter fabric therein, a hinge bearing for a bail and a pair of locking jaws formed integral with the body element, a bail, and a body element that has a locking tongue and a clamp for a tab and a garter fabric and a pair of ears that are formed integral therewith, and said body element being hinged together with the bail and means for clamping the two body elements together when the bail is fully moved in a forward direction and the locking tongue is passed through the tongue receiving hole that is disposed in one of the body elements and a tab secured to the upper end of the locking tongue.

ERNEST BLIESATH. 

